Phishing. This online scam in which people are tricked into divulging sensitive personal and account information is a threat to the entire world of online commerce, striking at consumer confidence and corporate brands alike.

It’s growing exponentially. By one measure, the number of unique phishing websites more than doubled between March and April of this year. By another measure, the number of brands phished each month reached an all-time high at about the same time.

And the phishers are growing more devious, as you’ll learn from a free white paper, Rock Phishing: Characterization of the Threat and Recommended Countermeasures: click here to download as a PDF file.

This sobering report will alert you to insidious new phishing techniques and trends, including:

The combination of social engineering and technology prowess that goes into the typical phish.

The exploits and evolving tactics of the so-called Rock Phish Gang, who have already done an estimated $100 million in damages targeting financial institutions – and whose sophisticated, multi-tiered methods are now being directed at other types of businesses and emulated by other phishers.

The multilayered countermeasures – including user education, email authentication, and robust consumer reporting – that institutions and consumers must mount to prevent and repel phishing attacks.

Phishing is a serious threat to consumer confidence and weakens trust in e-commerce. Online fraud scams continue to grow by fifteen percent per quarter, targeting financial institutions of all sizes as well as other types of businesses. It is important for companies to be aware of this issue and work to educate and protect their employees and customers.